


a soul for a soul

by whistlingwindtree



Category: Avengers: Endgame (Movie) - Fandom, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Gen, Nat deserves better, screw endgame
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-19
Updated: 2019-05-19
Packaged: 2020-02-10 03:42:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18652189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whistlingwindtree/pseuds/whistlingwindtree
Summary: Natasha meets Death





	a soul for a soul

**Author's Note:**

> I have lots of feelings about Endgame, I just wanted to get this out.

_It's okay. It's for the best._

These were Natasha's last thoughts as she crashed to the ground before her skull split open. The red in her ledger would disappear, and she could finally rest.

And so, she welcomed death.

* * *

 

 She awoke with a start, chest heavy and breath ragged as her head pounded.

"Natalia Alianovna Romanova,"a voice purred. "We meet at last." 

"Where am I?" Natasha choked out, rising to her feet. 

"A better question would be _why_."

Natasha stilled, and mentally shook off the fatigue, and willed herself to remain calm. A dark-haired woman stood before her, with a sensual black dress draped over luscious curves, with ivory skin that looked like it never felt the sun. She was perched atop an elegant throne, studded with rubies, diamonds, and jet, whilst her leg bounced up and down, at odds with her sly expression.

Natasha tilted her head, watching as the other woman tracked her movement. " _Why_ am I here?"

"Red Skull said a soul for a soul." The woman rose, placing one foot in front of the other daintily, stepping down her throne. "But time travel is a finicky thing, and now we have all those new timelines-"

"Get to the point." Natasha's heart leaped in her chest as the events crashed into her mind. Did Clint make it and their mad plan work?

"I am privy to every marking carved in blood in your ledger," the woman smirked, gliding towards Natasha. "Thank you, sincerely. But do you think _your_ death could satisfy all that you've done?" "

"What do you need of me?" Natasha fell back on her training in the Red Room. Make herself valuable to stay alive, till she gained more intel. 

"I am Death." A cold finger reached out and gingerly touched Natasha's cheek. "And you have become me."

Natasha kept her breathing even, and using her peripheral vision, scanned her surroundings the best she could.

 "I can see why Alexei fell in love with you."  Death bit her lip as she raised her hand and sifted through Natasha's hair. "Why they all did." 

"You're wasting both of our time."

Death laughed softly, dropping her hand but not before trailing her finger on Natasha's cheek. "You are right." Her face grew hard, and the temperature in the room dropped. "Because of the mischief of you and your friends, there are multiple alternate timelines. Timelines that require a culling. Do this for me, and I may send you back."

"And if I say no?"

Death tilted her head, in the exact way Natasha did earlier, and her eyes glowed. 

"You won't say no. So why ask the question?"

Natasha nodded, recognizing her only option to survive, to live again. "When do I begin?"

"No time like the present. Orientation starts in thirty minutes."

"Orientation?"

"Well,  _duh_ ," Death rolled her eyes.  "Do you think I just send you out into the world?" She snapped her fingers and immediately, Natasha was teleported to another room. "We are in a pocket dimension known as the Realm of Death-"

"What a creative name," Natasha snorted, falling in step with her new commander. "So what do you want me to do exactly?" She looked around her surroundings. She was in a large room with vaulted ceilings embossed with gold and marble, and with lush paintings on the walls.

Death waved her hand and a HoloTable appeared, giving birth to faint blue and green lines of a galaxy. She reached out to the glowing orb on the Earth and expanded it. "We have five alternate timelines and I can't be present to bring all the souls home."

"You want me to kill people?" Natasha took an involuntary step back. "Like Thanos?"

"Compare me to that demented, entitled,  sociopath again," Death bristled. "And I'll turn you purple." She was fibbing of course. She had no powers to change others against their will. " _We_ are neutral and do not interfere. We merely guide souls home."

"We-?"

"Aren't you paying attention?" Death sighed. "I can't be everywhere at once. Not with how you Avengers mucked everything up." She placed both hands on the expanded projection of the Earth, and then five additional planets appeared in different colors. "Your job, which you have no choice but to accept, is to become Death for all the new timelines for Earth." Death was fibbing again. Natasha could say no and merely revert to being deceased.

"Why should I do this?" 

"Don't you want to see your friends?" Death smiled slowly. "Tony Stark and that insufferable daughter of his? Goddess only knows why Pepper puts up with him." She shuddered delicately. " Steve and Peggy and their brood of children?"

"Steve and Peggy?" Natasha interrupted, with a frown. "But they're not together."

"Which part of multiple alternate timelines do you not get?" Death snapped, starting to doubt whether Natasha was up for this. Did the other Avengers rub their stupidity on her?

"I understand," Natasha laughed softly, as she tentatively reached out and touched the holotable, but it made a sizzling noise as a sharp electrical current ran through her. 

"First thing," Death intoned. "Don't touch the table." 

"And what's the second thing?" 

"Glad you asked," Death grinned, perking up, her eyes shining brightly. "We resurrect Hela." 

 

* * *

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading <3


End file.
